The FastDay Forum

I'm thinking of getting a Fitbit for motivation. Has anyone found it to be so?
I do a certain amount of walking (1-2 miles a day) just to get stuff done (live in the center of the city and have no car) but it's almost impossible to get up and do extra. I need something I can do on my own. The idea of committing to an exercise class or making a standing date with a friend is scary.
Has anyone found that using a Fitbit really pushed them to get extra steps

I still have not succumbed to a Fitbit, but I can say that having a pedometer is definitely motivating for me, especially in the winter months when "going for a walk" is far from alluring. In order to reach my target I have walked up and down my drive on chilly dark nights, or when too chilly I have paced my hall and kitchen. I used to huddle in station waiting rooms, now I prefer to pace the platforms. Less time spent with bum on sofa is good, no?

Yes, it is very motivational for me. I didn't really think it would be. I thought it would be interesting to see how much I walk at work and that would be it. But, I've added in a few short (10-15 min) walks during the day, as well as parking far away and that sort of thing. And if I'm close to my goal at the end of the day, I'll run up and down the stairs to get to it! Also, when I have a class (i'm a teacher), if I find I'm just standing, I'll start walking around the room.
I'm a numbers/data person though, so I think that helps me. There is a fitbit group of users from this forum and that's nice too. I strive to get higher up in the ranks! There's usually a monthly thread, but I don't think anyone started it for March. I've set a goal of 3,000,000 steps for the year that I'm also working towards.

I find it motivational. I went to a Charge HR after repeatedly losing and finding and losing forever various pedometer and other Fitbit models. Most days I am somewhat to pretty active, and it pushes me to go a little further. But, there are those "slug" days, and I find I shock myself on those days. It helps me get away from the "I have to take a major hike--or nothing" frame of mind. I just keep working at it through the day. My new Fitbit Charge HR is purple--makes me happy.

I took the plunge, on the cheap. I found a Fitbit one on Craigslist, sans dongle, for $40. I left my phone somewhere, so I have to get a dongle to sync, but have ordered one from Ebay. So for the next few days I'll be using it as a pedometer. I was going to buy one a few weeks ago, but then my cat died and I kind of lost interest. But I'm getting a bit more control over my eating, and want to get a bit more control over my exercise as well. I think this will be a fun, low pressure way to do that.
Thanks everyone for piping in with your thoughts! I'll be looking for the Fitbit threads.

I love my fitbit and have used it for more than two years. It definitely keeps me aware of how many steps I do each day. I started with a target of 10,000 which I was regularly achieving. I then took my target up to 12,000 steps and when I kept smashing that I took it up another 10 percent to 13,200. I undertake to achieve this at least 5 days out of 7 and if it gets to dinner time and I haven't done it I often go out for a short 10-15 minute walk. I take part in the Challenges with my friends all over the world.

Absolutely definitely YES!
I've had it for 2.5 years, so the cost per month is now minimal. Which is good, because I would encourage you to get one that records the number of floors as well as steps. One of the things it records is the number of calories you've burned, which I think of as just an activity score (I don't eat to match what it says) and so if you go for a hilly walk you get more 'points' than if you walk on the flat.
I have the now old-fashioned 'One' which I like because I can wear it discreetly.
I should say that it doesn't motivate my partner in the same way, but if mine was lost or broken, I'd buy another one immediately.
How does it motivate me? Less now than it did, and slightly in fits and starts, but generally I would check my total in the evening, and if I was short of my steps, I would go out for a quick walk and invariably do more than I needed. I will confess to running up and down the stairs for no purpose other than to make the next 'badge' it awards you when you do something big eg 100 floors. And I really wouldn't have thought I would ever do that!
Oh and something interesting; if we go for a walk, instead of discussing at the end how far we might have walked in miles, we talk about distance in steps!
I LOVE mine.